Football

Soccer-Superior Senegal beat Mali to advance to Cup of Nations semi-finals

TANGIER, Morocco, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Iliman ‌Ndiaye scored the only goal as Senegal beat 10-man Mali 1-0 on Friday to book a semi-final ‌berth at the Africa Cup of Nations for the third time in the last four tournaments.

Other Sports

Sailing-From student crews to superyachts, Atlantic charge to set off from Lanzarote

ARRECIFE, Lanzarote, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Some 21 teams ‌from 19 nations are tinkering, fettling and gearing up in Lanzarote for a high-speed Atlantic adventure when the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race ‌sets sail to Antigua on Sunday, with everything from student crews to superyachts ready to tackle the 3,000-nautical-mile voyage west.

Football

Soccer-Fletcher focused on Man United's FA Cup tie, not his future at Old Trafford

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Manchester United interim manager Darren Fletcher ‌said he has not spoken with minority owner Jim Ratcliffe about his future as he prepares for what ‌could be his final game in charge against Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup.

Football

Soccer-Spurs captain Romero handed additional one-match ban

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur ‌captain Cristian Romero has been handed a one-match ‌suspension for his reaction to being sent off during ‌last month's 2-1 Premier League loss to Liverpool, the FA said on Friday.

Football

Soccer-New Chelsea boss Rosenior welcomes weight of pressure

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Liam Rosenior said he was ‌ready to embrace the pressure of managing Chelsea and unlock what he called the club's "limitless" potential as he ‌prepares for his first game in charge of the West London side on Saturday.

Other Sports

Darts-Littler lands record-breaking sponsorship deal after second world crown

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Luke Littler has ‌secured what is being reported by British media as the largest sponsorship agreement ‌in darts history, with Target Darts announcing a new long-term, multi-million-pound deal with ‌the recently crowned double World Champion on Friday.

Football

Soccer-Germany pick North Carolina's Winston-Salem as World Cup base

BERLIN, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Four-times world ‌champions Germany will be based in North Carolina's Winston-Salem during next year's ‌soccer World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States, ‌the team said on Friday.

Football

JDT leave it late to extend winning run

PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta'zim's (JDT) were made to wait till the last minute to get a winner after beating Negri Sembilan 1-0 in a tense Super League match at the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Stadium in Paroi on Friday (Jan 9).

Football

Cricket-Not pitch-perfect; Italy go into bat for soccer-mad compatriots in T20 World Cup debut

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Italy are gearing up for their Twenty20 ‌World Cup debut, hoping a strong showing next month will help the sport break into popular culture in a soccer-obsessed nation that does not have a natural cricket ‌pitch.

Football

Soccer-Snow, freezing temperatures force cancellation of games in Germany, England

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Two Bundesliga matches ‌have been scrapped due to large amounts of snow and ice blanketing ‌pitches across Germany, while a third-round FA Cup match on Saturday has also ‌been postponed due to freezing conditions in Britain.  

Other Sports

Rallying-Qatar's Al-Attiyah wins stage six for Dacia, retakes Dakar lead

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah will ‌lead the Dakar Rally into its second and final week after winning the sixth ‌stage in the Saudi Arabian desert on Friday to take over at the top ‌from South African rival Henk Lategan.

Badminton

Aaron-Wooi Yik stand tall as Malaysia's last pair in home Open

BUKIT JALIL: World No. 2 men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik lifted the spirits of the national badminton camp by becoming Malaysia's sole representative to reach the semi-finals of the home Open in style.

Badminton

Still too strong as Korean world No. 1 deny Wei Chong-Kai Wun again

BUKIT JALIL: Men's doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun were left disappointed once again after losing again to world No. 1 and Malaysian Open defending champions Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae of South Korea in the quarter-finals on Friday (Jan 9).

Football

Soccer-Heavy snowfall forces postponement of St Pauli v Leipzig

BERLIN, Jan 9 (Reuters) - ‌Saturday's Bundesliga match between St Pauli ‌and RB Leipzig in Hamburg has ‌been postponed due to large amounts of snow and ice blanketing the pitch, the German Football League (DFL) ‍said on Friday.

Other Sports

Olympics-Meylemans claims second European skeleton title with win in St. Moritz

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Belgium's ‌Kim Meylemans clinched her second European Championship skeleton ‌title in St. Moritz on Friday, as the ‌countdown to next month's Milano Cortina Winter Olympics gathers pace.

Football

Soccer-Tapsoba to miss Bundesliga restart, says Leverkusen coach

BERLIN, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Bayer ‌Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba will miss Saturday's Bundesliga ‌match against visitors VfB Stuttgart despite his return this ‌week from Africa Cup of Nations duty, coach Kasper Hjulmand said on Friday.

Tennis

Tennis-Swiatek leads Poland to victory over Australia in United Cup quarters

SYDNEY, Jan 9 (Reuters) - ‌Iga Swiatek brushed aside Maya Joint ‌and Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski won ‌the mixed doubles as Poland beat hosts Australia 2-1 in the United Cup quarter-finals on Friday, setting ‍up a last-four clash with ‍defending champions the ‌United States.

Badminton

M'sian coaches Choong Hann, Jeremy behind Hkg's win against Tang Jie-Ee Wei

KUALA LUMPUR: Hong Kong's mixed doubles shuttler Tse Ying Suet may be 35-years-old but she remains a dangerous opponent.

Other Sports

Olympics-Hirscher calls off planned comeback due to lack of speed

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Alpine skiing great ‌Marcel Hirscher has abandoned his planned return to competition, ruling out an ‌appearance at this year's Winter Olympics after admitting on Friday that ‌he lacks the pace to compete at the highest level.

Badminton

Home hopes gone as Tang Jie-Ee Wei bow out in quarters

KUALA LUMPUR: Reigning world champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei's run in the Malaysian Open ended after the mixed pair went down to Hong Kong's Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet in the quarter-finals.